LIKE many dads, last year I opted against a long lie for Fathers Day but rather got up early drove to Ibrox to take part in the Men's Health Forum Scotland (MHFS) 10K event.
It's a very well-run event that has struggled to attract funding and as such next year's 10th edition has sadly been cancelled.
Like many I was immensely proud of how Glasgow and the country as a whole got behind the 2014 Commonwealth Games, so it seems perverse that in the same year an event that has done much to improve the fitness of males in the city has been cancelled.
It's also an event that raises awareness regarding mental health, which is something that west of Scotland males are less inclined to openly discuss.
This year both my daughters took part in the associated family 3k race and it was great to see whole families taking part. It was an event that had all shapes, sizes and ethnicities.
Given that this was a 10k event on a Sunday morning taking in both Bellahouston and Pollok parks its disruption to the city was kept at a minimum. The event was well supported by Bellahouston Harriers, who provided pacers for those seeking a good time and those happy to get round without walking. It was nice to see club runners helping those running what for many is their first event of this nature.
Also to the credit of the organising team, they always kept the entry fee low and this year offered free places to those who could not afford the entry fee. If it turns out that this year's was the last men's 10km, it would be a blow to the much talked-about 2014 legacy.
Martin A Kay,
33 Grainger Way, Motherwell.
IT'S so encouraging to see how well Glasgow has embraced the introduction of the Nextbike rental scheme ("City cycles have been used for 20,000 bike rides", The Herald, September 3).
Isn't it telling that, as soon as the bikes were installed and the public were encouraged to use them throughout the city, there have been more than 20,000 journeys made in just three months?
The response to the scheme in Glasgow shows that cycling is a viable and popular alternative method of transport and when made easily accessible, is received with open arms.
It's my belief that more cyclists on the roads will also ultimately make it safer to cycle for everyone, as motorists come to accept our presence and we can truly begin to see a healthy and sustainable cycling culture take root.
Brenda Mitchell,
Cycle Law Scotland,
Castle Street,
Edinburgh.
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